Ep. 251: The Guardrails That Could Save Your Marriage (Before It's Too Late) With Jim Ramos

How close are you to a line you never thought you'd cross? Most guys don't wake up one day and decide to wreck their marriage. It starts small. A conversation. A joke. A complaint. One tiny step at a time. In this episode, we sit down with Jim Ramos to talk about his new book Guardrails—and why the strongest marriages aren't built on good intentions… they're built on clear boundaries. We get into: Why most affairs start way earlier than you think The danger of how you talk about your wife (even as a joke) Practical guardrails every man needs at work, online, and at home What it actually looks like to "live above reproach" How to protect your marriage before you're in trouble   This one isn't about rules. It's about wisdom. The goal isn't to see how close you can get to the edge…it's to build a life that never gets near it.   Support Jim and strengthen your marriage with his new book "Guardrails: Ten Boundaries For An Unbreakable Marriage": https://a.co/d/06ZwD2U2   ***Special Giveaway Alert*** If you would like a free copy of Jim's new book "Guardrails," head over to the Manhood Journey YouTube channel and look out for a short titled "Book Giveaway" coming soon!   Want to shape the direction of the show this year? Leave us a voicemail and tell us what you're facing as a dad: manhoodjourney.org/podcast Scroll down to "What's Your Story?" and leave us a message!   You're not a father on accident. Go be a father on purpose.   -------------------------------------------------------------------------   Learn more about our new partners here: https://maninthemirror.org/ Download the Iron Circle worksheet here: https://manhoodjourney.org/iron-circle/   We've launched video now! Check out the video version of today's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/De7s4r5dnJA -----------------------------------------------------------------------   Range Leather: Support the show and upgrade your fatherhood swag. Shop Range Leather and get 15% OFF with code MJ15 Grab some fresh beans! https://rangecoffee.com/   Fatherhood Guard – The Fatherhood Guard is now 100+ members strong! Join the fight for God honoring fatherhood. Connect with dads from over 25 states and at least 3 countries by joining today. Grab your Range Leather welcome hat at https://manhoodjourney.org/donate/fatherhood-guard/     Buy Kent's latest book "Don't Bench Yourself" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1qBF3RJ   Read the new State Of Biblical Fatherhood report here: http://manhoodjourney.org/sobf Find tools to share the report here: https://manhoodjourney.org/sobf-tools   Have a topic you want us to touch on? Well, get in touch! Send us an email at: [email protected]   -------------------------------------------------------------------------   About our hosts: Kent Evans is the Executive Director and co-founder of Manhood Journey, a ministry that helps dads become disciple-makers. After a twenty-year career as a business leader, he embarked on biblical Fatherhood ministry projects. He's appeared on television, radio, web outlets and podcasts. He's spoken at parenting and men's events, and authored four books. The first, Wise Guys: Unlocking Hidden Wisdom from the Men Around You, was written to help men learn how to find mentors and wise counsel. The latest, Don't Bench Yourself: How to Stay in the Game Even When You Want to Quit, aims to help dads stay present in their roles as fathers and husbands even when they feel like giving up. Kent's life has been radically affected by godly mentors and his lovely wife, April. They have been married thirty years and have five sons and one daughter-in-law. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.   Lawson Brown is husband to his high school sweetheart, a father of two young adult daughters, has been a business leader since 1995, and is a former Marine. He served as a small group leader for teenage boys for many years, helped start the Christian media ministry City on a Hill Productions, then later Sanctuary – a new church in Kennesaw, GA – where he served as its leader for Men's Ministry. Lawson's journey of faith has always been centered in a grounding from his wife, Audrey, and supported throughout by many men whom he's found as brothers along the way. His family is nearing an empty nest phase and has recently relocated to the Florida Gulf Coast beaches area.